F-35 restricted from flying in lightning over fuel system issue

F-35 deliveries resumed after a flaw was discovered that could cause an explosion if the plane was struck by lightning, maker Lockheed Martin said Wednesday.

The company halted deliveries of its F-35 jets to the U.S. Air Force for much of June, but announced that two were delivered on Tuesday.

The F-35A, the most widely used variant of the plane, should not be flown within 25 miles of lightning or thunderstorms until issues regarding the plane's fuel system are resolved, Lockheed said.

Flaws in tubing used to circulate inert gas into fuel tanks to prevent explosions were discovered in 14 of 24 F-35As during routine maintenance at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Although the flaws appear to occur after the planes leave the manufacturing facility, restrictions by the F-35 Joint Program Office, a Defense Department agency, follow Lockheed's lead. They will remain in place until the Onboard Inert Gas Generation System is fixed.

An identical problem, with the same flying restriction, occurred in the early 2010s. The OBIGGS was redesigned in 2014. Ironically, the plane is nicknamed the "Lightning II."

The Air Force intends to purchase 1,763 F-35s, regarded as the most advanced fighter plane in the world. The Marine Corps and the Navy also have, and intend to buy, additional variants of the plane.

Lockheed Martin is contracted to deliver 141 F-35s to the U.S. military in 2020, a figure unlikely to be met, in part, of supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said in May.

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